Remember Me and Thee
by dnjlwilson
Summary: Starsky is injured when Hutch fails to show in a meet with an informant.


**SOP Disclaimer: I do not own Starsky and Hutch. I do not profit from any of this. This story is for entertainment purposes only. I do not intend to infringe on anyone's rights.**

**Warnings: Hutch fans-This story shows Hutch in a very bad light. I wrote this when I was mad at Hutch for the way he treated Starsky in the last part of Season 3 and in Season 4. Forgive me, but Hutch does come through in the end.**

**Starsky is injured when Hutch fails to show for a meet with an informant. Starsky H/C, Hutch angst.**

**Reviews are coveted and appreciated.**

Remember Me and Thee

by dnjlwilson

Pain, crushing pain. Where was it coming from? He tried to remember what happened but the buzzing in his head was making that task impossible. Why was he flat on his back?

Hutch. Where was Hutch? Was he mixed up in whatever was going down here? God, he wished he could remember. Maybe if he could see more he could remember. He tried to raise his head to get a look. That was a mistake. Nausea threatened to overtake him. His vision swam. Losing control, he painfully rolled to his side. Spasms of vomiting caused blinding pain in his head and chest.

Finally the wretching stopped. He stayed on his side, knees to his chest, bringing slight relief to the tortuous pain. Grabbing his chest, he felt something warm and sticky. Blood? His blood. He looked at his hands through blurred vision. Red. Bright red.

Slowly, flashes of the recent past came to him. He was waiting for Hutch. What else? They were to meet Mickey. He had news for them about the case they were working on.

More flashes. Hutch was with Marci, the woman who didn't like him. She had a problem with the relationship Hutch had with him. Lately, it seemed Hutch did too. Hutch had argued with him about meeting Mickey. Marci was going to be mad if he left her early because of work on his day off. Hutch had finally agreed to be there, only because Captain Dobey had ordered him to.

"God Hutch, I hope you weren't in this mess." Starsky said to himself. Fighting a wave of pain, he held his breath. His head was throbbing, his chest felt as if an elephant were sitting on him.

The flashes returned. Hutch wasn't here. He remembered noting Hutch being 45 minutes late when he saw shadows and felt his head explode. Reaching for his Baretta, he fired at the shadows. They crumpled to the ground as he felt fire in his chest, his breath leaving him.

Nausea overpowered him again as dry heaves ripped his body in two. Exhausted, he gave in to the pain. Darkness overtook him, God, it was cold.

Hutch awoke with a jolt. Eight A.M.! He was supposed to meet Starsky an hour and a half ago. "Marci!" he yelled. "Why did you turn the alarm off?"

"You were tired, I thought you needed sleep more than you needed to see Starsky." she innocently answered.

"Marci, it's my job!" Hutch was yelling now. Throwing clothes on, he rushed to the door.

"Ken, this is your day off. You leave now and you may as well not come back!" she threatened.

"You know, Starsky was right about you. He saw right through you." he snarled, rushing out the door. He jumped in his car and headed to the meeting place.

"Zebra Three, come in." he tried on the radio. No answer. He tried again, No answer. An uneasy feeling settled on him as he recalled the argument he had with Starsky last night. He recalled the look of hurt that crossed his partner's face when he told Starsky that Marci's feelings were more important to him than meeting some lowlife like Mickey at the crack of dawn. Why had he said that? How had Marci so poisoned his mind toward the person he loved more than a brother? How had he let this happen again?

Driving at breakneck speed, Hutch arrived at the location. The Torino was there. Where was Starsky? Running to the Torino, Hutch noticed the keys in the ignition. This was not good. He noticed something in front of the car. A body! The man had been shot twice. He was dead. Another body lay just to the right of this one. Where was Starsky?

"Starsky!" Hutch yelled. Panic set in as he searched the alley. Trash, boxes, and other litter was thrown aside as he searched frantically. Catching a glimpse of something, Hutch froze. Blue. Blue Adidas. Starsky!

Hutch was not prepared for what he found. Starsky lay on his side, curled in the fetal position, out cold. Hutch gently felt for a pulse, almost afraid to touch his friend. Faint, but there. Relief flooded him. Slowly, carefully, he turned Starsky over. Hutch gasped as Starsky came to rest on his back. Blood was everywhere. His face, neck, chest, and stomach were covered. Running back to the Torino, Hutch called for an ambulance. "And Hurry!" he yelled into the mic.

Returning to Starsky, Hutch took off his jacket and gently placed it under Starsky's head. He noticed the labored breathing and cold skin. Shock! Gently tapping Starsky's face, he said, "Hey Buddy, wake up for me, will ya?"

A faint sound came from the cold lips. "Starsk?"

"Hush? You okay? Can't remember what happened." Starsky struggled with every word.

Hutch felt hot tears roll down his face. "I'm okay, Buddy."

"Thank God." Starsky barely whispered.

"I'm so sorry, Starsky." Hutch confessed as his tears fell, unchecked. "You were right about Marci. How could I let this happen to you?"

"Not...your...fault." Starsky struggled out just before a hard wave of pain hit him causing him to curl up again.

Hutch held him against his chest as Starsky rode the pain that took his breath.

"Hutch?" Starsky faintly whispered, exhausted.

"I'm here, Buddy. I hear the ambulance. Hold on, please." Hutch sobbed.

"Sorry, Hutch."

Hutch's heart broke. "For what?"

"For causin' trouble for you and Marci."

"That's not important. You are more important right now. Hang on." Hutch pleaded.

The paramedics took Starsky from his arms. Working frantically, they got an IV started, stablized him, and were on their way to he hospital before Hutch could even catch his breath. Knowing Starsky wouldn't want to leave his car in the alley, Hutch drove it behind the ambulance, red light flashing.

Starsky was wheeled into ER and into surgery quickly. The only thing Hutch could remember was one paramedic saying they had lost him once but were able to get him back.

Collapsing on the hard chair in the waiting room, Hutch noticed Captain Dobey and Huggy walking quickly toward him.

"What the hell happened?" Dobey asked loudly.

"I don't know, Cap." Hutch replied tiredly.

"What do you mean, 'you don't know'?" Dobey yelled.

"I wasn't there. I was late." Hutch's confession sucked his breath from his body.

"You mean, he was alone?" Dobey asked incredulously.

"Yeah." Hutch replied, barely a whisper.

"Hutch." Huggy said quietly.

"God, Huggy, what did I do?" Hutch cried.

"I don't know what's been goin' on between you two lately but it's gone too far." Huggy replied.

"Huggy, what can I do? This is my fault! I've hurt him so much the last few months. He just kept coming back for more. Always there for me, no matter what." Hutch was sobbing now.

"I know one thing you better do." Huggy said with hardness in his voice.

"What? I'll do anything."

"You damn well better be there for him when he wakes up!" Huggy said as he walked away from the broken man before him.

"God, give me another chance and I will never treat him like that again." Hutch bargained. "Please, give me another chance!"

Minutes turned into hours. Dobey paced, trying to control the rage he felt toward Hutch. Not only did he disobey a direct order, but he also failed to cover his partner. Dobey thought of his Detective in surgery. The last few months had been hard on Starsky. The bouncing, smiling, boyish detective succombed to the harsh treatment his partner doled out day after day. Doing his job and going home, Starsky was just a shadow of the man that drew people like a magnet, brightening the room with that smile and causing spirits to lift. Not recently though. He was a man with a broken spirit and probably a broken heart. Hutch had treated him badly, there was no way around it.

The doctor appeared, breaking his thoughts. "For Detective Starsky?"

Hutch, Dobey, and Huggy all stood with anxious looks.

"He's stable, but in critical condition. He has a severe concussion. A bullet grazed his head. Another bullet entered his chest, compromising his left lung and rupturing his spleen. We have repaired the lung and removed the spleen. He lost a lot of blood. The next 24 hours are crucial. He has an uphill battle. Much of it will depend on how much he fights.

"Can I see him?" Hutch asked.

Not wanting to deny this man what could possibly be the last chance to see his friend, he said, "We're moving him to ICU. I'll send a nurse for you when we get him settled."

"I need to be there when he wakes up." Hutch pleaded.

"He won't regain consciousness for a while." the doctor said. "If you promise to leave when I say, you can sit with him for a while."

Relieved, Hutch nodded his thanks. "I promise I"ll make this right, Cap." Hutch said to Dobey.

"I hope you get the chance." Dobey grimly replied.

About an hour later, a nurse ushered a very tired Hutch to Starsky's room. Very quietly, Hutch slowly stepped up to the bed. Starsky looked so helpless. His head was bandaged as was his chest. He had an IV in each arm and beeping equipment was everywhere. But, he was alive.

"Keep fighting, Buddy, please!" Hutch pleaded.

Carefully picking up Starsky's hand, he sat down near the bed, holding that hand like it was the most precious jewel in the world. Maybe it was.

"Stay with me, Starsk. I need you even if I haven't shown it."

"Remember Me and Thee." a barely whispered sound came from his friend.

"Starsk?"

"I'm here, Hutch. Stay will ya?"

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away, Buddy." Hutch promised.

"You okay?" Starsky asked.

Stunned at the concern from Starsky, Hutch replied, "I will be when I know you're gonna be alright."

When no reply came, Hutch looked closely and realized Starsky had fallen asleep. "Me and Thee, Buddy." Hutch repeated. "I remember, Me and Thee."

Four weeks later, Hutch was finally taking Starsky home. It had been a long, hard battle. It never ceased the amaze Hutch how strong his partner was and how much he must love life to continue to bounce back from the hardships life tossed him. He smiled when he remembered the conversation they had when they first arrived back at Starsky's apartment.

"Dummy, you have got to lay down in the bed, not on the couch. The doctor said he wouldn't release you this soon if you didn't promise to take it easy, very easy." Hutch had argued.

"Blintz, I've been in bed for four weeks. I'm not about to come home and CHOOSE to lay in the bed! I'm layin' on the couch!" was Starsky's response.

Hutch, both amazed and confused by Starsky's logic, had to smile. Wasn't laying on the couch the same thing? His heart truly loved his partner and if laying on the couch was what he wanted, then let him do it. As long as he stayed down, Hutch would be happy for now. Hutch had a feeling as soon as the pain meds the doctor had prescribed kicked in, there wouldn't be much argument left in Starsky.

A knock on the door brought Hutch out of 'Starskyland'. Opening the door expecting Huggy, Hutch was was surprised to see Marci standing there. Seeing Marci's face cause him to remember how he had let Starsky down. The horror and fear like he had never known before came rushing back to his mind. Starsky had forgiven him, like he usually did, unconditionally. But Hutch had not forgiven himself.

Hutch looked at Marci, "Sorry, Marci." he said to her as he slowly closed the door in her face.

"Hutch!" Starsky yelled. "What are you doin'? What happened in the past stays in the past. I know you cared for her, maybe loved her. Go after her, make things right."

"Starsky," Hutch started slow, "I don't know what I felt for Marci. I do know that if a woman doesn't understand about you and me, then she's not for me. Can you understand that?"

"Yeah," Starsky said quietly, "more than you know."

"Besides," Hutch continued, "I remember, Me and Thee!"

Their eyes locked for moment as unsaid words passed between them. Their bond so complete, no words were necessary.

Breaking the moment, Hutch said with all the authority he could muster, considering the circumstances, "Now get your skinny tail on the couch or I'm calling that 250 pound nurse to come take care of you!"

"You do that blondie." Starsky said, playing along. "I think she liked you. I gave her your phone number."

"You what?" Hutch said incredulously.

"Yeah, you know I'm gonna look out for ya." Starsky said with a yawn. "Gotta sleep now. You can thank me later."

Hutch tucked the blanket around his friend, thanking God he still had him. The affection and fondness were almost overwhelming. Looking down at his already sleeping partner, Hutch thought to himself, "Yeah, I remember, Me and Thee. Always."

finis


End file.
